NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Biological oceanography

Marine biology is the scientific study of the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxonomy. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2001, 4710 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2001, 4710 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) â€ Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... The worlds oceans as seen from the South Pacific Ocean Oceans (from Okeanos in Greek, the ancient Greeks noticing the strong current that flowed off Gibraltar and assuming it was a great river) cover almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth, and nearly half of the... Biology is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Sunset at sea Look up Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up maritime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Taxonomy (from Greek verb tassein = to classify and nomos = law, science, cf economy) may refer to: the science of classifying living things (see alpha taxonomy) a system of classification in some other field Taxonomy was once only the science of classifying living organisms, but later the word was applied in...

There are many practical reasons to study marine biology. Marine life represents a vast resource, providing food, medicine, and raw materials, in addition to helping to support recreation and tourism all over the world. At a fundamental level, marine life helps determine the very nature of our planet. Marine organisms produce much of the oxygen we breathe and probably help regulate the earth's climate. Shorelines are in part shaped and protected by marine life, and some marine organisms even help create new land. This article is about the field of medical practice and health care. ... Tigers playing in the water. ... El Nido, Philippines Tourism is the act of travel for the purpose of recreation and business, and the provision of services for this act. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance transparent (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... Shore A shore or shoreline is the land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. ...

Overview

Marine biology covers a great deal, from the microscopic, including plankton and phytoplankton, which can be as small as 0.02 micrometers and are both hugely important as the primary producers of the sea, to the huge cetaceans (whales) which reach up to a reported 33 meters (109 feet) in length. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1243 KB) Summary Took this picture while scuba diving in a coral reef in Hurghada, Egypt Pterois volitans, fam. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1243 KB) Summary Took this picture while scuba diving in a coral reef in Hurghada, Egypt Pterois volitans, fam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton Phytoplankton refers to the autotrophic component of the plankton that drifts in the water column. ... A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer), symbol µm, is an SI unit of length. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti (see text) The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) A metre or meter[1] (symbol: m) is a unit of length and the current base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...

The habitats studied by marine biology include everything from the tiny layers of surface water in which organisms and abiotic items may be trapped in surface tension between the ocean and atmosphere, to the depths of the abyssal trenches, sometimes 10,000 meters or more beneath the surface of the ocean. It studies habitats such as coral reefs, kelp forests, tidepools, muddy, sandy, and rocky bottoms, and the open ocean (pelagic) zone, where solid objects are rare and the surface of the water is the only visible boundary. In physics, surface tension is an effect within the surface layer of a liquid that causes the layer to behave as an elastic sheet. ... Categories: Stub | Plate tectonics | Earth sciences | Landforms | Oceanic trenches ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... Kelp Forest Kelp forests are a type of marine ecosystem established around colonies of kelp; they contain rich biodiversity. ... Tide pools at a beach Closeup of a tide pool with some algae and barnacles Tide pools (also tidal pools or rock pools) are rocky pools by the ocean that are filled with seawater. ...

A large proportion of all life on Earth exists in the oceans. Exactly how large the proportion is is still unknown. While the oceans comprise about 71% of the Earth's surface, due to their depth they encompass about 300 times the habitable volume of the terrestrial habitats on Earth. Earth (often referred to as the Earth, or the earth), is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth largest. ...

Many species are economically important to humans, including the food fishes. It is also becoming understood that the well-being of marine organisms and other organisms are linked in very fundamental ways. Human understanding is growing of the relationship between life in the sea and important cycles such as that of matter (such as the carbon cycle), of air (such as Earth's respiration, and movement of energy through ecosystems. Large areas beneath the ocean surface still remain effectively unexplored.) A lobster boat unloading its catch in Ilfracombe harbour, North Devon, England. ... The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged between the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Earth. ... ...

Subfields

The marine ecosystem is large, and thus there are many subfields of marine biology. Most involve studying specializations of particular species (i.e., phycology, invertebrate zoology, ichthyology). Marine ecosystems are part of the earths aquatic ecosystem. ... Phycology (or algology), a subdiscipline of botany, is the scientific study of algae. ... it ois the study of people who help many animals ... Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. ...

Other subfields study the physical effects of continual immersion in sea water and the ocean in general, adaptation to a salty environment, and the affects of changing various oceanic properties on marine life. A subfield of marine biology studies the relationships between oceans and ocean life, and global weather and environmental issues (such as carbon dioxide displacement). Sea water is water from a sea or ocean. ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

Recent marine biotechnology has focused largely on marine biomolecules, especially proteins, that may have uses in medicine or engineering. Marine environments are the home to many exotic biological materials that may inspire biomimetic materials. The structure of insulin Biotechnology is a technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. ... Many marine biomolecules have found technology applications. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Bionics (also known as biomimetics, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering) is the application of methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. ...

An interesting branch of marine biology is aquaculture; which some countries do a lot of in the oceans, especially Japan. The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Related fields

Marine biology is closely linked to both oceanography and biology. It also encompasses ideas from ecology. Fisheries science and marine conservation can be considered partial offshoots of marine biology. Thermohaline circulation Oceanography (from Ocean + Greek Î³ÏÎ¬Ï†ÎµÎ¹Î½ = write), also called oceanology or marine science is the study of the Earths oceans and seas. ... Biology is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. ... Ernst Haeckel coined the term oekologie in 1866. ... A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ... Marine conservation, also known as marine resources conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. ...

Lifeforms

Microscopic life

Microscopic life undersea is incredibly varied and still poorly understood. For example, the role of viruses in marine ecosystems is barely being explored even in the beginning of the 21st century. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1061x722, 128 KB)tomopterus image uwe kils gfdl self File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1061x722, 128 KB)tomopterus image uwe kils gfdl self File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Tomopteris from plankton - a polychaete ... Orders Amphinomida Capitellida Chaetopterida Cirratulida Cossurida Ctenodrillidae Eunicida Flabelligerida Magelonida Myzostomida Nerillida Opheliida Orbiniida Orweniida Phyllodocida Pisionidae Polygordiida Protodrilida Psammodrilidae Sabellida Spionida Spintheridae Sternaspida Terebellida Tomopteris from plankton The Polychaeta or Polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine, with a pair of fleshy protrusions on each body segment... Groups I: dsDNA viruses II: ssDNA viruses III: dsRNA viruses IV: (+)ssRNA viruses V: (-)ssRNA viruses VI: ssRNA-RT viruses VII: dsDNA-RT viruses A virus (Latin, poison) is a microscopic particle that can infect the cells of a biological organism. ... The 21st century is the present century of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The role of phytoplankton is better understood due to their critical position as the most numerous primary producers on Earth. Phytoplankton are categorized into cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae/bacteria), various types of algae: red, green, brown, and yellow-green, diatoms, dinoflagellates, euglenoids, coccolithophorids, cryptomonads, crysomonads, chloromonads, prasinomonads, and silicoflagellates. Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton Phytoplankton refers to the autotrophic component of the plankton that drifts in the water column. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and make it easier to understand, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Orders The taxonomy of the Cyanobacteria is currently under revision. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Diatoms (Gr. ... Classes Dinophyceae Noctiluciphyceae Syndiniophyceae The dinoflagellates are a large group of flagellate protists. ... The euglenids are one of the best-known groups of flagellates, commonly found in freshwater especially when rich in organic materials, with a few marine and endosymbiotic members. ... Coccolithophores are single-celled algae, or phytoplankton, belonging to the haptophytes. ... Typical genera Campylomonas Chilomonas Chroomonas Cryptomonas Falcomonas Geminigera Goniomonas Guillardia Hemiselmis Plagioselmis Proteomonas Storeatula Rhodomonas Teleaulax The cryptomonads are a small group of flagellates, most of which have chloroplasts. ... The silicoflagellates are a small group of unicellular heterokont algae, found in marine environments. ...

Zooplankton tend to be somewhat larger, and not all are microscopic. Many Protozoa are zooplankton, including dinoflagellates, zooflagellates, foraminiferans, and radiolarians. Some of these (such as dinoflaggelates) are also phytoplankton; the plant/animal distinction often breaks down in very small organisms. Other zooplankton include cnidarians, ctenophores, chaetognaths, molluscs, arthropods, urochordates, and annelids such as polychaetes. Many larger animals begin their life as zooplankton before they become large enough to take their familiar forms. Two examples are fish larvae and sea stars (also called starfish). Photomontage of plankton organisms Plankton is the aggregate community of weakly swimming but mostly drifting small organisms that inhabit the water column of the ocean, seas, and bodies of freshwater. ... Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica about: Protozoa Protozoa (in Greek proto = first and zoa = animal) are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have nuclei) that show some characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy. ... Parasitic excavate (Giardia lamblia) Green algae (Chlamydomonas) Flagellates are cells with one or more whip-like organelles called flagella. ... Orders Allogromiida Carterinida Fusulinida - extinct Globigerinida Involutinida - extinct Lagenida Miliolida Robertinida Rotaliida Silicoloculinida Spirillinida Textulariida incertae sedis Xenophyophorea Reticulomyxa The Foraminifera, or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists with reticulating pseudopods, fine strands that branch and merge to form a dynamic net. ... Classes Polycystinea Acantharea Sticholonchea Radiolarians (also radiolaria) are amoeboid protozoa that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into inner and outer portions, called endoplasm and ectoplasm. ... Classes Anthozoa - Corals and sea anemones Cubozoa - Sea wasps or box jellyfish Hydrozoa - Hydroids, hydra-like animals Scyphozoa - Jellyfish Cnidaria is a phylum containing some 10,000 species of relatively simple animals found exclusively in aquatic environments (most species are marine). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Classes Archisagittoidea Sagittoidea Chaetognatha is a phylum of predatory marine worms that are a major component of plankton worldwide. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... Subphyla and Classes Arthropods (phylum Arthropoda) (from Greek á¼€ÏÎ¸ÏÎ¿Î½, meaning joint and Ï€Î¿ÏÏ‚/Ï€Î¿Î´ÏŒÏ‚, meaning foot) are the largest phylum of animals and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others. ... Classes Ascidiacea Thaliacea Appendicularia Sorberacea Urochordata (sometimes known as tunicata and commonly called urochordates, tunicates, sea squirts or cunji) is the subphylum of saclike filter feeders with input and output siphons. ... Classes and subclasses Class Polychaeta (paraphyletic?) Class Clitellata Oligochaeta - (Earthworms, etc. ... Orders Amphinomida Capitellida Chaetopterida Cirratulida Cossurida Ctenodrillidae Eunicida Flabelligerida Magelonida Myzostomida Nerillida Opheliida Orbiniida Orweniida Phyllodocida Pisionidae Polygordiida Protodrilida Psammodrilidae Sabellida Spionida Spintheridae Sternaspida Terebellida Tomopteris from plankton The Polychaeta or Polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine, with a pair of fleshy protrusions on each body segment... A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... NON TECHNICAL AND OF LOW INTELLIGENCE COMPUTER USER CALLING TECH SUPPORT. SEE S.E.C.S. ALSO This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

Download high resolution version (1296x972, 528 KB)Kelp forest, Otago peninsular, Oct 2004 Author: User:Velela. ... Download high resolution version (1296x972, 528 KB)Kelp forest, Otago peninsular, Oct 2004 Author: User:Velela. ... Kelp Forest Kelp forests are a type of marine ecosystem established around colonies of kelp; they contain rich biodiversity. ...

Plant life

Plant life is relatively rare undersea. Most of the niche occupied by plants on land is actually occupied by macroscopic algae in the ocean, such as Sargassum and kelp which are commonally known as seaweeds. The non algae plants that do survive in the sea are often found in shallow waters, such as the seagrasses (examples of which are eelgrass, Zostera, and turtlegrass, Thalassia). These plants have adapted to the high salinity of the ocean environment. The intertidal zone is also a good place to find plant life in the sea, where mangroves or cordgrass or beach grass might grow. There are several things called niche, a word English has borrowed from French: Generally, a niche is a special place within the scheme of things. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Species Sargassum bacciferum, aka. ... Families Alariaceae Chordaceae Laminariaceae Lessoniaceae Phyllariaceae Pseudochordaceae Kelp are large seaweeds, belonging to the brown algae and classified in the order Laminariales. ... Seaweed-covered rocks in the UK Biologists, specifically marine biologists, consider seaweed to be any of a large number of marine benthic algae that are multicellular, macrothallic, and thus differentiated from most algae that tend to be microscopic in size [1]. Many phycologists prefer the term marine macroalgae over seaweeds... Johnsons seagrass in Florida coast Seagrass (or sea-grass in British English) is a term that refers to flowering plants from two plant families (Potamogetonaceae and Hydrocharitacea) that grow in the marine environment. ... Species Zostera japonica Zostera marina Zostera is a genus small genus of widely distributed aquatic grass, it is commonly called eelgrass. ... The foreshore, also called the intertidal or littoral zone, is that part of a beach that lies between average high tide and average low tide. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ... Species See text. ... Species Ammophila arenaria Ammophila breviligulata Marram Grass or Beach Grass is a genus of two species of grass growing almost exclusively on coastal sand dunes, where rhizomes on its extensive root system allow it to survive in a very harsh and windswept ecosystem. ...

Other marine invertebrates

Other sea life includes Cnidaria such as Jellyfish and sea anemone; Ctenophora; sea worms including phyla: Plathyhelminthes, Nemertea, Annelida, Sipuncula, Echiura, and the Phoronida; Mollusca including shellfish, squid, octopus; Crustaceans; Porifera including sponges, Bryozoa, Echinodermata including starfish; and Urochordata - sea squirts or tunicates. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x629, 205 KB)Banded coral shrimp or Stenopus Hispidus hiding under some coral on Bonaire. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x629, 205 KB)Banded coral shrimp or Stenopus Hispidus hiding under some coral on Bonaire. ... Binomial name Stenopus hispidus (Olivier, 1811) Stenopus hispidus is a shrimp-like decapod crustacean, belonging to the infraorder Stenopodidea. ... Orders Jellyfish are marine invertebrates belonging to the Scyphozoan class, and in turn the phylum Cnidaria. ... Families Many, see text. ... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ... Phylum (plural: phyla) is a taxon used in the classification of animals, adopted from the Greek phylai the clan-based voting groups in Greek city-states. ... Cooked mussels Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... Suborders Myopsina Oegopsina Squids are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods. ... Families 14 in two suborders, see text. ... Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods (55,000 species), usually treated as a subphylum [1]. They include organisms such as lobsters, crabs, shrimp and barnacles. ... Classes Calcarea Hexactinellida Demospongiae The sponges or poriferans (from the Greek poros pore and ferro to bear) are animals of the phylum Porifera. ... Fossilized Bryozoa, Ordovician limestone, Batavia, Ohio Bryozoans (moss animals) are tiny colonial animals that generally build stony skeletons of calcium carbonate, superficially similar to coral. ... Classes Asteroidea Concentricycloidea Crinoidea Echinoidea Holothuroidea Ophiuroidea Echinoderms (Echinodermata) is a phylum of marine animals found in the ocean at all depths. ... Classes Ascidiacea Thaliacea Appendicularia Urochordata (sometimes known as tunicata and commonly called urochordates, tunicates or sea squirts) is the subphylum of saclike filter feeders with input and output siphons. ... Classes Ascidiacea Thaliacea Appendicularia Urochordata (sometimes known as tunicata and commonly called urochordates, tunicates or sea squirts) is the subphylum of saclike filter feeders with input and output siphons. ... Classes Ascidiacea Thaliacea Appendicularia Sorberacea Urochordata (sometimes known as tunicata and commonly called urochordates, tunicates, sea squirts or cunji) is the subphylum of saclike filter feeders with input and output siphons. ...

Fish

Fishes inhabit the largest (by volume) biome on Earth. They have evolved very different biological functions from other large organisms. Fish anatomy includes a two-chambered heart, operculum, secretory cells that produce mucous, swim bladder, scales, fins, lips and eyes. Fish breathe by extracting oxygen from water through their gills. Fins propel and stabilize the fish in the water. Image File history File linksMetadata Centropyge_loricula. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Centropyge_loricula. ... Species See text Centropyge is a genus of marine angelfishes. ... The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ... In ecology, a biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant, and animal communities best adapted to the regions physical natural environment, latitude, altitude and terrain factors. ... A hypothetical phylogenetic tree of all extant organisms, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, showing the evolutionary history of the three domains of life, bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. ... The operculum in fish is the hard bony flap covering and protecting the gills of Bony fish. ... Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green). ... The word mucous is an adjective which means pertaining to mucus or having the qualities of mucus. ... The gas bladder (also fish maw, less accurately swim bladder or air bladder) is an internal organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth, ascend, or descend without having to waste energy in swimming. ... In most biological nomenclature, a scale (Greek lepid, Latin squama) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animals skin to provide protection. ... A fin is a surface used to produce lift and thrust or to steer while traveling in water, air, or other fluid media. ... The lips of a female Lips are a visible organ at the mouth of humans and many animals. ... Closeup of a blue-green human eye. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance transparent (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ...

Well known fish include: sardines, anchovy, tuna, clownfish (also known as anemonefish), and bottom fish which include halibut and ling cod. Predators include sharks and barracuda. Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. ... Genera Amazonsprattus Anchoa Anchovia Anchiovella Cetengraulis Coilia Encrasicholina Engraulis Jurengraulis Lycengraulis Lycothrissa Papuengraulis Pterengraulis Setipinna Stolephorus Thryssa The anchovies are a family (Engraulidae) of small but common schooling saltwater plankton-feeding fish. ... Species See text Tuna, sometimes called tunafish, are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. ... Species Twenty-seven, including: Amphiprion allardi - Allards Clownfish Amphiprion melanopus - Cinnamon Clownfish Amphiprion clarkii - Clarks Anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris - Ocellaris Clownfish Amphiprion percula - Percula Clownfish Amphiprion perideraion - Pink Skunk Clownfish Amphiprion polymnus - Saddleback Clownfish Amphiprion sebae - Sebae Clownfish Amphiprion tricinctus - Three-Band Anemonefish Amphiprion ephippium - Red Saddleback Anemonefish Amphiprion... A large halibut with a fisher to its right A halibut is a type of flatfish from the family of the righteye flounders (Pleuronectidae). ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes Sharks are groups (superorder Selachimorpha) of fish, with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body. ... Species See text. ...

Marine mammals

There are five main types of marine mammals. A Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris). ... A Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris). ... Binomial name Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a large otter native to the North Pacific, from northern Japan and Kamchatka west across the Aleutian Islands south to California. ... A marine mammal is a mammal that is primarily ocean-dwelling or depends on the ocean for its food. ...

class="preview" id="pv157"> Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti Archaeoceti (extinct) (see text for families) The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... Families See text. ... Families See text The toothed whales (systematic name Odontoceti) form a suborder of the cetaceans. ... Binomial name Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 Sperm Whale range (in blue) The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of all toothed whales and is believed to be the largest toothed animal to ever inhabit Earth, measuring up to 18 m (60 ft) long. ... Genera See article below. ... Genera Neophocaena Phocoena - Harbor porpoises Phocoenoides - Dalls Porpoises The porpoises are small cetaceans of the family Phocoenidae; they are related to whales and dolphins. ... Families Balaenidae Balaenopteridae Eschrichtiidae Neobalaenidae Scientifically known as the Mysticeti, the baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form a suborder of the order cetacea. ... Families Balaenidae Balaenopteridae Eschrichtiidae Neobalaenidae Scientifically known as the Mysticeti, the baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form a suborder of the order cetacea. ... Binomial name Eschrichtius robustus Lilljeborg, 1861 Gray Whale range The Gray Whale or Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus), more recently called the Eastern Pacific Gray Whale, is a whale that travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. ... Binomial name Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) Humpback Whale range The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a mammal which belongs to the baleen whale suborder. ... Binomial name Balaenoptera musculus (Linneus, 1758) Blue Whale range The Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. ... Families Dugongidae Trichechidae For information about the Gothic Metal band, see Sirenia (band) Sirenia are herbivorous mammals of coastal waters. ... Species Trichechus inunguis Trichechus manatus Trichechus senegalensis Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large aquatic mammals sometimes known as sea cows. ... Binomial name Dugong dugon (MÃ¼ller, 1776) Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are the smallest members of the order Sirenia (which also includes the manatees and Stellers Sea Cow). ... Binomial name Hydrodamalis gigas (Zimmermann, 1780) Stellers Sea Cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) is an extinct large sirenian mammal formerly found near the Asiatic coast of the Bering Sea. ... Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae A pacific walrus A leopard seal on Kerguelen Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ... Genera Monachus (Monk Seals) Mirounga (Elephant Seal) Lobodon (Crabeater Seals) Leptonychotes Hydrurga (Leopard Seals) Ommatophoca Erignathus (Bearded Seals) Phoca Halichoerus (Gray Seals) Cystophora (Hooded Seals) The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. ... Genera Eumetopias Zalophus Otaria Neophoca Phocarctos A sea lion is any of several marine mammals of the family Otariidae. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae A pacific walrus A leopard seal on Kerguelen Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ... Binomial name Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a large otter native to the North Pacific, from northern Japan and Kamchatka west across the Aleutian Islands south to California. ... Subfamilies Lutrinae Melinae Mellivorinae Taxidiinae Mustelinae Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals. ... Species Mustela africana Mustela altaica Mustela erminea Mustela eversmannii Mustela felipei Mustela frenata Mustela kathiah Mustela lutreola Mustela lutreolina Mustela nigripes Mustela nivalis Mustela nudipes Mustela putorius Mustela sibirica Mustela strigidorsa Mustela vison Mustela Whitus Weasels are mammals in the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. ... Genera Arctonyx Melogale Meles Mellivora Taxidea For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774 The polar bear (Ursus maritimus), also known as the white bear, northern bear, or sea bear, is a large bear native to the Arctic. ... For other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). ...

Reefs

Reefs comprise some of the densest and most diverse habitats in the world. The best-known types of reefs are tropical coral reefs which exist in most tropical waters; however, reefs can also exist in cold water. Reefs are built up by corals and other calcium-depositing animals, usually on top of a rocky outcrop on the ocean floor. Reefs can also grow on other surfaces, which has made it possible to create artificial reefs. Coral reefs also support a huge community of life, including the corals themselves, their symbiotic zooxanthellae, tropical fish and many other organisms. Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 410 KB)Assorted living corals underwater File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 410 KB)Assorted living corals underwater File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Subclasses Alcyonaria Zoantharia See text for orders. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... A reef surrounding an islet. ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... Subclasses Alcyonaria Zoantharia See text for orders. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ... Construction in place of an artificial reef from hollow tile blocks An artificial reef is a man-made, underwater structure, typically built for the purpose of promoting marine life in areas of generally featureless bottom. ... Zooxanthellae are golden-brown endosymbionts of various marine animals and protozoa. ...

Much attention in marine biology is focused on coral reefs and the El Niño weather phenomenon. In 1998, coral reefs experienced a "once in a thousand years" bleaching event, in which vast expanses of reefs across the Earth died because sea surface temperatures rose well above normal. Some reefs are recovering, but scientists say that 58% of the world's coral reefs are now endangered and predict that global warming could exacerbate this trend. Chart of ocean surface temperature anomaly [Â°C] during the last strong El NiÃ±o in December 1997 El NiÃ±o and La NiÃ±a (also written in English as El Nino and La Nina) are major temperature fluctuations in surface waters of the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion or a fraction as a whole number. ... Global mean surface temperatures 1856 to 2005 Mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades. ...

Deep sea and trenches

The ocean is deep, very deep in some places. The deepest recorded measure to date is the Mariana Trench, near the Philippines, in the Pacific Ocean at 10924 m (35838 ft). At such depths, water pressure is extreme and there is no sunlight, but some life still exists. Small flounder (family Soleidae) fish and shrimp were seen by the American crew of the bathyscaphe Trieste when it dove to the bottom in 1960. Mariana Trench location The Mariana Trench (or Marianas Trench) is the deepest known submarine trench, and the deepest location in the Earths crust itself. ... Water pressure is the pressure in any system for supplying water, usually a domestic water system, although the term is used in other contexts as well, such as a municipal water system. ... Genera (22 genera) The soles are a family (Soleidae) of flatfishes found in both oceans and freshwater, feeding on small crustaceans and other invertebrates. ... Trieste A bathyscape or bathyscaphe is a self-propelled deep-sea diving submersible, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a bathysphere suspended below a float filled with a buoyant liquid such as petrol. ... The bathyscaphe Trieste Close-up of pressure sphere Trieste emblem Trieste was a deep-diving research bathyscaphe (deep boat) with a crew of two people. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

Other notable oceanic trenches include Monterey Canyon, in the eastern Pacific, the Tonga Trench in the southwest at 10,882 m (35,702 feet), the Philippine Trench, the Puerto Rico Trench at 8605 m (28232 ft), the Romanche Trench at 7760 m (24450 ft), Fram Basin in the Arctic Ocean at 4665 m (15305 ft), the Java Trench at 7450 m (24442 ft), and the South Sandwich Trench at 7235 m (23737 ft). The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor. ... A canyon in Monterey Bay, which is commonly explored by the scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. ... The Tonga Trench is located in the Pacific ocean and is 32,000 ft (9,900 m) deep. ... The Philippine Trench is a submarine trench to the east of the Philippine islands. ... Location map Puerto Rico trench - USGS The Puerto Rico Trench is an oceanic trench located on the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Romanche Trench, also called Romanche Furrow or Romanche Gap, is the third deepest of the major trenches of the Atlantic Ocean, after the Puerto Rico Trench and the South Sandwich Trench. ... The Java Trench, also called Sunda Trench, with a length of 2 600 km and a maximum depth of 7 725 meters at 10Â°19N, 109Â°58E, was long thought to be the deepest trench of the Indian Ocean, but is in fact second to the Diamantina Trench... The South Sandwich Trench is the deepest trench of the Southern Atlantic Ocean, and the second deepest of the Atlantic Ocean, after the Puerto Rico Trench. ...

In general, the deep sea is considered to start at the aphotic zone, the point where sunlight loses its power of transference through the water. Many life forms that live at these depths have the ability to create their own light. The aphotic zone is the depth of the ocean that is not exposed to sunlight. ...

Much life centers on seamounts that rise from the deeps, where fish and other sea life congregate to spawn and feed. Hydrothermal vents in the ocean floor act as oases, as do their opposites, cold seeps. Such places support unique biomes and many new microbes have been discovered at these sights. A seamount is a mountain rising from the seafloor that does not reach to the surface of the ocean. ... A hydrothermal vent A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planets surface from which geothermally heated water issues. ... Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara For other uses of this word, see Oasis (disambiguation). ... Tubeworms, soft corals and chemosynthetic mussels at a seep located 3,000 metres down on the Florida Escarpment. ... In ecology, a biome is a major regional group of distinctive plant, and animal communities best adapted to the regions physical natural environment, latitude, altitude and terrain factors. ... A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is so small that it is microscopic (invisible to the naked eye). ...

Marine biologists are trying to amass a more complete mapping of underwater species with the help of modern techniques. The deepest oceanic depressions are supposed to contain unknown species, possibly also of great potential interest for the theories on evolution. A hypothetical phylogenetic tree of all extant organisms, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, showing the evolutionary history of the three domains of life, bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. ...

How oceanic factors affect distribution of various organisms

An active research topic in marine biology is to discover and map the life cycles of various species and where they spend their time. Marine biologists study how the ocean currents, tides and many other oceanic factors affect ocean lifeforms, including their growth, distribution and well-being. This has only recently become technically feasible with advances in GPS and newer underwater visual devices. A life cycle is a period involving one generation of an organism through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction. ... An ocean current is any more or less permanent or continuous, directed movement of ocean water that flows in one of the Earths oceans. ... The tide is the cyclic rising and falling of Earths ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the Earth. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...

Most ocean life breeds in specific places, nests or not in others, spends time as juveniles in still others, and in maturity in yet others. Scientists know little about where many species spent different parts of their life cycles. For example, it is still largely unknown where sea turtles travel. Tracking devices do not work for some life forms, and the ocean is not friendly to technology. But these factors are being overcome in many instances. Genera Family Cheloniidae (Oppel, 1811) Caretta Lepidochelys Chelonia Eretmochelys Natator Family Dermochelyidae Family Protostegidae (extinct) Family Toxochelyidae (extinct) Family Thalassemyidae (extinct) Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the worlds oceans with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. ... In the second half of the 20th century, humans acquired sufficient technology to leave the surface of the Earth and explore space. ...

Famous marine biologists

Source: List of biologists. Image File history File links Jacques-Yves Cousteau. ... Image File history File links Jacques-Yves Cousteau. ... ... Jakob Johan Adolf AppellÃ¶f (Garda on Gotland 2 November 1857 â€“ 5 January 1921), Swedish marine zoologist. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the zoologist Samuel Stillman Berry. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Henry B. Bigelow (1879-1967) was a pioneering oceanographer and marine biologist. ... Carsons Government Photo (1940s) Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 â€“ April 14, 1964) was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-born zoologist and marine biologist whose landmark book, Silent Spring, is often credited with having launched the global environmental movement. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Carl Chun (October 1, 1852 - April 11, 1914) was a German marine biologist. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1976. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Felix Anton Dohrn, (b. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Sylvia Alice Earle (born August 30, 1935) is an American oceanographer. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Johan Hjort was born in Oslo, Norway 18 February 1869 and died there 7 October 1948. ... The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) was established in 1902 by eight northern European nations. ... Bruno Hofer (1861 â€“ 1916) was a German fishery scientist, credited with being the founder of fish pathology. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Emperor Hirohito of Japan (Japanese: è£•ä») (April 29, 1901 â€“ January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1926 to 1989. ... August David Krohn (1803 â€“ 1891) was a Saint Petersburg born zoologist of German origin. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... William Elford Leach FRS (February 2, 1790 - August 26, 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Charles Darwin 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan AD927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi - Water (%) Population... For the unrelated Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, see Boston College. ... Nicholai Nicholaevich Miklukho-Maklai (ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°Ð¹ ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°ÐµÐ²Ð¸Ñ‡ ÐœÐ¸ÐºÐ»ÑƒÑ…Ð¾-ÐœÐ°ÐºÐ»Ð°Ð¹ in Russian) (1846 â€“ 1888) was a Russian ethnologist, anthropologist and biologist. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Sir John Murray (March 3, 1841 - March 16, 1914), pioneering Scots-Canadian oceanographer and marine biologist. ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification - by Kenneth I 843 Area - Total 78... Harald Rosenthal (* June 9, 1937 in Berlin) is a German hydrobiologist and fisheries scientist known for his work in fish farming, ecology, and international cooperation. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Michael Sars (b. ... Georg Ossian Sars (April 20, 1837 - April 9, 1927) was a Norwegian marine biologist. ... | Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ruth Turner was a pioneering marine biologist. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. ... Professor Sir Charles Wyville Thomson (March 5th, 1830 - March 10th, 1882), Professor of Zoology and chief scientist on the Challenger expedition. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... This is a list of notable biologists. ...

Contents

Overview

Subfields

Related fields

Lifeforms

Microscopic life

Plant life

Other marine invertebrates

Fish

Marine mammals

Reefs

Deep sea and trenches

How oceanic factors affect distribution of various organisms

Famous marine biologists

See also

External links

Contents

Overview GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Subfields

Related fields

Lifeforms

Microscopic life

Plant life

Other marine invertebrates

Fish

Marine mammals

Reefs

Deep sea and trenches

How oceanic factors affect distribution of various organisms

Famous marine biologists

See also

External links

Overview